Responsive newspapers like The Columbian are part of the foundations of our democracy. The paper invites readers to help guide content, posts notices about public meetings, and, of course, offers the ever-present opportunity to speak up in Our Readers’ Views, through letters to the editor. (“What should our reporters cover next? Cast a vote” and “Public meetings” in The Columbian, April 22) What to cover? How about a series about hunger in America, with highlights of the local situation?
As tax season passes, Congress is working on the coming budget, with a new farm bill that could increase hunger in America by cutting SNAP, formerly food stamps. That will be a problem for the one in five children already living in poverty. It will be a problem for the up to 50 percent of older adults now facing malnutrition, according to Martha Peppones, Nutrition & Advocacy director, Homage Senior Services.
What do our representatives in Congress think about this? Why not fully fund the SNAP program, while finding and remedying the underlying causes of hunger in the world’s richest country? Let’s join our voices to change this sad situation, with calls, letters and visits to those who represent us. And answering the “what to cover”question posed by The Columbian.
